Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts tagged as ““Justice for Mike Brown””

Ryan Coogler, Shaka King, Terence Nance and More Push for #BlackOutBlackFriday in Light of Ferguson Decision

By goodblacknews on November 25, 2014

75Following the announcement that police officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted for the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO, several human rights groups have sprung into action to protest the decision and push back against undue violence at the hands of police.
In the entertainment community, Blackout for Human Rights, a “network of concerned citizens who commit their resources to immediately address the staggering level of human rights violations against fellow Americans,” has been active in the past few months with a series of videos calling for a nationwide boycott of all major retailers this Black Friday, the major shopping day following Thanksgiving.
One hope is that pressure from the community will cause Wilson to be held accountable at a federal level.


The group, which counts filmmakers Ryan Coogler, Shaka King, Terence Nance, Rick Famuyiwa and others among its members, is using the hashtag #BlackOutBlackFriday to put the call out on social media for supporters to participate in “a nationwide day of action for human rights awareness, as opposed to a day of consumerism.”
To watch the first few videos, click here.
article by Jai Tigget via blogs.indiewire.com

Run For Justice: Londrelle Hall and Ray Mills Run 540 Miles From Atlanta To Mike Brown Memorial In Ferguson as Tribute and Peaceful Protest

By goodblacknews on November 25, 2014

Screen Shot 2014-11-25 at 1.39.42 AM
When the news came out about the shooting death of Mike Brown at the hands of police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Mo., many were outraged, heartbroken, and some people just didn’t know what to do. But for Londrelle Hall, 28, and Ray Mills, 29, all they wanted to do was run. The two decided they wanted to go to Ferguson and make a difference. They wanted to protest for and pay tribute to Mike Brown, but also run for black men in general, whose image in the media has been maligned. Mills told NBC News, “Statistically, it seems like in our community we [black men] are incarcerated or doing nothing. We want to go against the grain and not be another statistic, and we wanted to inspire other people to do the same.” Hall agreed, saying “We want to show that people who look like us can be doing something positive.”
Screen Shot 2014-11-25 at 1.38.09 AMRunning in their “Run For Justice” hoodies, the men garnered quite a following on Instagram. Hall has 38,000 followers, and many of those supporters left positive, encouraging messages on their page and even text the men to keep their spirits up. After taking time out of their busy schedules and full-time jobs to train, the men ran and walked for 20 days, doing at least 35 miles a day, no matter the weather, taking their protest and awareness across counties, from state to state. They eventually found their way to Brown’s memorial in Ferguson, where they were met by supporters. Once they reached the spot as rain poured down on everyone, Hall broke down in tears, saying on Instagram, “My Soul Cried.”
It wasn’t easy at all, but Hall says that even though they’ve met their goal, they will continue to run for Brown and for all injustices going on.
“The purpose of this was never forget, but to keep raising awareness of what’s going on around us, so this is not the end. We will still run, not necessarily 540 miles, but we will still run.”
article by Victoria Uwumarogie via madamenoire.com

Michael Brown Supporters Interrupt St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Performance with Song and Banners (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on October 5, 2014

Protestors at a performance of the St. Louis Orchestra display a banner of officer shooting victim, Mike Brown. TheGrio.com
Protestors at a performance of the St. Louis Orchestra display a banner of officer shooting victim, Mike Brown. (YouTube)

Supporters of slain Missouri teen Michael Brown launched a peaceful protest during a St. Louis Symphony Orchestra performance at Powell Symphony Hall.
The October 4 performance was interrupted suddenly when protestors located in the upper balcony unveiled banners—three in total—with written messages and artwork drawn in remembrance of the Ferguson youth fatally shot by a St. Louis police officer. The protest, launched during a performance of “Requiem” by Brahms, caused a minor delay in the orchestra’s performance. Some members of the protest also stood up in the lower seating sections, singing a tribute—set to the original Brahms’ piece—called “A Requiem for Mike Brown,” according to the title of one YouTube video of the event.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDc4Z-ex8sQ&w=560&h=315]
“Justice for Mike Brown,” the protestors can be heard singing in the video taken by one of the audience members, as the video pans towards the balcony, revealing two of the banners. The first is shown saying “Racism Lives Here,” with an arrow pointing to what appears to be a sketch of a city skyline; the second is a sketch of Michael Brown’s face, with “Requiem for Mike Brown” written, along with the dates 1996 – 2014, the years of the 18-year old Brown’s birth and death. The refrain of the protestors’ song was “which side are you on?”
(AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Steve Giegerich)
The video later pans to the third banner, which also features a drawing of the young man’s face, as well as the dates.
A significant portion of the audience can be heard clapping, with some even cheering as the protestors sing the song for approximately a minute and a half. Some audience members however, can be seen with looks of shock and confusion at the sudden and surprising interruption.
After finishing their song, the protestors can be heard chanting “Black lives matter,” before many of them head towards the exits. No arrests were made in the protest, as the demonstrators left of their own accord in peaceful fashion.
The protest follows the continued national controversy surrounding the death of Michael Brown on August 9 in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri.
article via thegrio.com